After tearing through Vegan Italiano, I finally sprung for a new cookbook that’s been on my wishlist forever: Nonna’s Italian Kitchen by Bryanna Clark Grogan. Yup, I bought another vegan Italian cookbook. OF COURSE I did. My last name is Garbato, after all.

I’ve been kind of slow to start this one; the recipes are interlaced with tips and anecdotes about Italian cooking, so that the cookbook really deserves a more thorough reading than I’ve been able to commit to as of yet. But when I was hit with an undeniable pasta craving, I cracked it open and decided to make the first pasta dish I came upon: Spaghetti per Mimi. It’s a really hearty sauce with tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, Kalamata olives (my favorite!), peppers, onion, garlic, and some other goodies. Easy and delicious!

Served with a new-old favorite, Green Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic from the aforementioned Vegan Italiano. This is hands down one of my favorite recipes in the book, second – well, third – only to the pan-fried pizza and roasted pepper sauce. Melt in your mouth good, I now buy a pound of fresh greens beans every time I go to the store, just so I can cook up another batch. Way better than green beans have any right to be.